Centre for Inflammation Research

Dr Gourab Choudhury

I am the lead for clinical and translational research on COPD in Lothian. My interests are around early detection, phenotyping and endotyping of COPD patients.

Dr Gourab Choudhury

Consultant Physician and Service Lead, Respiratory Medicine / Senior NRS fellow

  • Centre for Inflammation Research
  • Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

Contact details

Group members

  • Andrew Deans, Lead Research Nurse
  • Amy McLaren, Senior Research Nurse
  • Ruth Moss, Research Nurse

Background

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of respiratory emergencies worldwide, and is now the third commonest cause of mortality according to WHO projections. A characteristic feature of COPD is an abnormal inflammatory response in the lungs to inhaled particles or gases. The ability to assess and monitor this response in the lungs of COPD patients is important for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms, but also provides a measure of the activity of the disease. Disease activity is more likely to relate to lung inflammation rather than the degree of airflow limitation. To understand a detailed phenotyping and endotyping of COPD is therefore of paramount importance to design and trial potential novel anti-inflammatories in this heterogenous group of patients.

Research Overview

Dr Choudhury is currently the Principal Investigator for 5 ongoing clinical trials in Lothian. This includes being the Chief Investigator for a pan-Scotland study looking at the role of inhaled corticosteroids on the microbial architecture of patients with COPD and coexistent bronchiectasis (The TEMPESTAS trial), and the British lung Foundation Early COPD Study where he is the PI for the Scottish chapter of the study.  He also is heading the PHSOP trial in Lothian investigating the follow-up of post-hospitalised COVID Pneumonitis patients to address this gap in our understanding; funded as a long-term research study to recruit 10,000 patients who have been hospitalised with COVID-19.

He is also currently heading a data innovation project on COPD in collaboration with Professor Timothy Walsh to explore the opportunities to integrate primary and secondary care data to risk-stratify long-term chronic conditions with COPD an exemplar to do so.

Biographical Profile

Dr Choudhury is currently working as a respiratory consultant in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He is the Clinical Lead for COPD and the Respiratory Managed Clinical Network Lead in NHS Lothian, and is a Senior NRS Fellow with the University of Edinburgh. He is currently also leading all the clinical and translational research in COPD in Edinburgh.

His research interests lie in investigating the phenotypes of COPD and understanding the therapeutic options to treat these phenotypes more optimally. His clinical interest lies in integrating and bringing uniformity to the primary and secondary care pathways to achieve equity of care in Respiratory Medicine across Lothian and beyond, and is currently co-chairing a National interface group to achieve this in conjunction with the Scottish Government.

Honours and Awards

Recently awarded in the "Best Doctor" category by the Scottish Government in the Scottish Health Awards in October 2021.

Collaborators

Professor Sarah Walmsley

Professor Debby Bogaert

Professor Timothy Walsh

Dr Roberto Rabinovich, Senior NRS Fellow

Highlighted Publications

  1. Use of the oral beta blocker bisoprolol to reduce the rate of exacerbation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a randomised controlled trial. BICS January 2022. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1271797/v1
  2. Consensus recommendations on the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT in lung disease.  Journal of Nuclear Medicine December 2020, 61 (12) 1701-1707. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.120.244780
  3. Quantification of lung PET images: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Nuclear Medicine 2017, 58 (2) 201-207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.116.184796
  4. Comorbidities and Systemic Effects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Clin Chest Med 2014, 35 (1) 101-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccm.2013.10.007
  5. Seven-day antibiotic courses have similar efficacy to prolonged courses in severe community-acquired pneumonia - a propensity-adjusted analysis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2011, 17 (12) 1852-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03542.x. Epub 2011 Sep 15

View all 15 publications on Research Explorer

Funding

  • British Lung Foundation - Early COPD trial
  • GSK - TEMPESTAS
  • MRC-UK Research and Innovation, and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - collaborator in PHOSP trial (a grant to the University of Leicester)